Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

The Ohio Department of Education is accepting applications for the 2016 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Schools selected for the program will be funded for the period beginning July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. This year the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program application must be completed and submitted online by March 23, 2015. The link to the online application is https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RVY8S3Y.

An information webinar on March 4, 2015, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. will provide an overview of the program and answers to common questions about the program. Registration is through the Claims Reimbursement and Reporting System (CRRS), NSLP-2016 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Application Overview.

Overview

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) provides all children in participating schools with a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the school day. It is an effective and creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snacks options. This program is seen as an important catalyst for change in efforts to combat childhood obesity by helping children learn more healthful eating habits and expanding the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience and as a result increase their fruit and vegetable consumption.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the FFVP at the federal level and the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Child Nutrition awards the grants to eligible schools and provides oversight to the operation of the FFVP on the state level. Elementary schools in Ohio on the National School Lunch Program are eligible to apply for the FFVP if at least 50% of the student enrollment qualifies for free or reduced price school meal benefits. Schools complete an annual application that is made available on the ODE website in early February. The applications are due in March and selected schools are announced in April. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, elementary schools with the highest percentage of students receiving free and reduced price school meal benefits receive the highest priority consideration for funding.

Click here to view the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program web site.